Method and system for network slice identification and selection

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for network slice selection during an initial connection. A wireless station receives, from a core network device, network slice data for each network slice available via the wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a slice identifier and corresponding slice characteristics for each network slice. The wireless station receives, from a user equipment (UE) device, a registration request message that indicates a network slice characteristic required by an application being executed on UE device. The wireless station selects, based on the network slice data from the core network device and the network slice characteristic from the UE device, one of the slice identifiers for servicing the UE device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/157,251, filed on Oct. 11, 2018, and titled “Method and System forNetwork Slice Identification and Selection,” the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Fifth Generation (5G) networks may use different frequencies, differentradio access technologies, and different core network functions that canprovide an improved experience over legacy wireless networks (e.g., 4Gnetworks). Optimal uses of new features available through 5G networkscontinue to be explored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an environment according to animplementation described herein;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of the accessnetwork of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating exemplary components of a device thatmay correspond to one or more of the devices illustrated and describedherein;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of a sliceID database;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are signal flow diagrams illustrating exemplarycommunications among devices in a portion of the network of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary communications amongdevices in another portion of the network of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flow diagrams illustrating exemplary processes forselecting a network slice, according to implementations describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the sameor similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does notlimit the invention.

A technology available in new wireless networks, such as FifthGeneration New Radio networks (5G-NR), is network slicing. Using networkslicing, a physical network may be sectioned (or “sliced”) intomultiple, virtual, end-to-end networks. Each network slice may bededicated for different types of services with different characteristicsand requirements (e.g., latency, voice, jitter, bandwidth, pricing,etc.). As used herein, the term “slice” or “network slice” refers to acomplete logical network including a Radio Access Network (RAN) and CoreNetwork that provides certain telecommunication services and networkcapabilities that can vary from slice to slice. Selection of networkslices can, thus, have significant impact on network performance anduser experience.

When applying current standards, in some instances, user equipment (UE,also referred to herein as a UE device) may be configured to use aparticular network slice upon connection to a network (e.g., a 5Gnetwork). In other instances (e.g., when a UE device is a multipurposedevice with multiple applications), a UE device may not be configured touse a particular network slice and a default network slice may beselected by the network during an initial radio connection period. Thedefault network slice may not be an optimal choice for the type ofnetwork traffic initiated by the UE device. Upon recognizing that adefault network slice does not have the optimal characteristics for aparticular application, the core network may switch the UE device overto a different network slice better suited for the particularapplication. This post-connection switchover requires usage ofadditional network and end device resources, and may result in anapplication experiencing less-than-optimal network performance duringinitial communications.

Systems and methods described herein provide a slice ID for use duringinitial network attachment. A slice ID is added to the initialcommunications to identify each slice's capabilities, slicecharacteristics, slice availability, price plan info, etc. Based on thisinformation, when a UE device attaches to the network (e.g., during aradio connection establishment procedure or other procedure that is apart of an attachment procedure), the UE device, an application, or aserving wireless station may select an appropriate network slice forservicing the application during an initial connection.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating concepts described herein. As shown inFIG. 1, an environment 100 may include one or more UE devices 110, anaccess network 120, one or more wireless stations 130, and a providernetwork 140. Each UE 110 may connect to access provider network 140 viaaccess network 120 using one of multiple available network slices 150(e.g., slice 150-1, 150-2, etc.).

UE device 110 may include a handheld wireless communication device(e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet device, etc.); a wearablecomputer device (e.g., a head-mounted display computer device, ahead-mounted camera device, a wristwatch computer device, etc.); aglobal positioning system (GPS) device; a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, or another type of portable computer; a media playing device;a portable gaming system; and/or any other type of computer device withwireless communication capabilities and a user interface. UE device 110may be used for voice communication, mobile broadband services (e.g.,video streaming, real-time gaming, premium Internet access etc.),best-effort data traffic, and/or other types of applications. In otherimplementations, UE device 110 may correspond to a wireless MTC devicethat communicates wirelessly with other devices over amachine-to-machine (M2M) interface.

According to exemplary implementations described herein, UE device 110may use multiple applications or services that are optimally supportedby different types of network slices 150. UE device 110 may includelogic to store optimal characteristics necessary to use eachapplication/service, store available network slice characteristics,and/or include requested network slice characteristics in initialconnection request messages to a wireless station 130.

Access network 120 may provide access to provider network 140 forwireless devices, such as UE device 110. Access network 120 may enableUE device 110 to connect to provider network 140 for Internet access,non-IP data delivery, cloud computing, mobile telephone service, ShortMessage Service (SMS) message service, Multimedia Message Service (MMS)message service, and/or other types of data services. Access network 120may include wireless stations 130, and UE devices 110 may wirelesslycommunicate with access network 120 via wireless station 130. Accessnetwork 120 may establish a packet data network connection between UEdevice 110 and provider network 140 via one or more Access Point Names(APNs). For example, wireless access network 120 may establish anInternet Protocol (IP) connection between UE device 110 and providernetwork 140. In another implementation, access network may provideaccess to a service or application layer network, a cloud network, amulti-access edge computing (MEC) network, a fog network, and so forth.Furthermore, access network 120 may enable a server device to exchangedata with UE device 110 using a non-IP data delivery method such as Dataover Non-Access Stratum (DoNAS).

Access network 120 may include a 5G access network or another advancednetwork that support network slicing. Additionally access network mayinclude functionality such as a mm-wave Radio Access Network (RAN);advanced or massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO)configurations (e.g., an 8×8 antenna configuration, a 16×16 antennaconfiguration, a 256×256 antenna configuration, etc.); cooperative MIMO(CO-MIMO); carrier aggregation; relay stations; Heterogeneous Networks(HetNets) of overlapping small cells and macrocells; Self-OrganizingNetwork (SON) functionality; MTC functionality, such as 1.4 MHz wideenhanced MTC (eMTC) channels (also referred to as category Cat-M1), LowPower Wide Area (LPWA) technology such as Narrow Band (NB) IoT (NB-IoT)technology, and/or other types of MTC technology; and/or other types of5G functionality.

Wireless station 130 may include a gNodeB base station device thatincludes one or more devices (e.g., wireless transceivers) and othercomponents and functionality that allow UE device 110 to wirelesslyconnect to access network 120. Wireless station 130 may correspond to amacrocell or to a small cell (e.g., a femtocell, a picocell, amicrocell, etc.). In other implementations, wireless station 130 mayinclude another type of base station for another type of wirelessnetwork that supports network slicing. Wireless station 130 may includeor be associated with one or more network slices 150.

Provider network 140 may include a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), an optical network, acable television network, a satellite network, a wireless network (e.g.,a CDMA network, a general packet radio service (GPRS) network, and/or anLTE network), an ad hoc network, a telephone network (e.g., the PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a cellular network), an intranet,or a combination of networks. In one implementation, provider network140 may allow the delivery of Internet Protocol (IP) services to UEdevice 110, and may interface with other external networks, such asprivate IP networks.

Wireless stations 130 may connect to provider network 140 via backhaullinks 170. According to one implementation, provider network 140 mayinclude a core network that serves as a complementary network for one ormultiple access networks 120. For example, provider network 140 mayinclude the core part of a 5G New Radio network, etc. Depending on theimplementation, provider network 140 may include various networkelements 145, such as a gateway, a support node, a serving node, arouter, a switch, a bridge, as well other network elements pertaining tovarious network-related functions, such as billing, security,authentication and authorization, network polices, subscriber profiles,etc. In some implementations, provider network 140 may include anInternet Protocol Multimedia Sub-system (IMS) network (not shown in FIG.1). An IMS network may include a network for delivering IP multimediaservices and may provide media flows between UE device 110 and externalIP networks or external circuit-switched networks (not shown in FIG. 1).

Network slices 150 may be configured with different characteristics tosupport different types of applications and/or services, such as videostreaming, massive Internet-of-Things (IoT), autonomous driving, etc. Adefault network slice 150 may not be an optimal choice for the type ofnetwork traffic initiated by the UE device 110 for a specificapplication. As described further herein, providing wireless stations130 and/or UE devices 110 with slice characteristics may permit anoptimal network slice selection during initial attachment and reduce theneed for post-connection slice handovers. According to implementationsdescribed further herein, each wireless station 130 may store in a localmemory a table of available network slices supported through thewireless station 130. According to one implementation, the wirelessstation 130 may store slice selection logic to match a UE device 110 toa particular network slice during an initial registration. According toanother implementation, the wireless stations 130 may broadcast networkslice characteristics to enable UE device 110 to request a preferrednetwork slice 150.

Although FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of environment 100, in otherimplementations, environment 100 may include fewer components, differentcomponents, differently arranged components, or additional functionalcomponents than depicted in FIG. 1. For example, in one implementation,environment 100 may include an MEC network that provides applicationsand services at the edge of a network, such as provider network 140.Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of environment 100may perform functions described as being performed by one or more othercomponents of environment 100.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a network environment 200 that includesexemplary components of environment 100 according to an implementationdescribed herein. As shown in FIG. 2, network environment 200 mayinclude UE device 110, gNodeB (gNB) 210, a core network 215, and an IPnetwork 230. gNB 210 may correspond to one of wireless stations 130.Core network 215 and IP network 230 may correspond to, or be includedin, provider network 140.

Core network 215 may include an Access and Mobility Management Function(AMF) 220, a User Plane Function (UPF) 230, a Session ManagementFunction (SMF) 240, an Application Function (AF) 250, a Unified DataManagement (UDM) 252, a Policy Control Function (PCF) 254, a NetworkRepository Function (NRF) 256, a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 258,and a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 260. AMF 220, UPF 230, SMF240, AF 250, UDM 252, PCF 254, NRF 256, NEF 258, and NSSF 260 maycorrespond to network elements 145 of FIG. 1 and may each be implementedas separate network devices or as nodes shared among one or more networkdevices. While FIG. 2 depicts a single AMF 220, UPF 230, SMF 240, AF250, UDM 252, PCF 254, NRF 256, NEF 258, and NSSF 260 for illustrationpurposes, in practice, FIG. 2 may include multiple gNBs 210, AMFs 220,UPFs 230, SMFs 240, AFs 250, UDMs 252, PCFs 254, NRFs 256, NEFs 258,and/or NSSFs 260.

gNB 210 may include one or more devices (e.g., wireless stations) andother components and functionality that enable UE device 110 towirelessly connect to access network 120 using 5G Radio AccessTechnology (RAT). For example, gNB 210 may include one or more cells,with each gNB 210 including a wireless transceiver with an antenna arrayconfigured for mm-wave wireless communication. gNB 210 may communicatewith AMF 220 using an N2 interface 222 and communicate with UPF using anN3 interface 232. According to implementations described herein, gNB 210may receive and store network slice characteristics which may bebroadcast to UE devices 110 and/or used to select a preferred networkslice 150 during an initial attachment process for UE device 110.

AMF 220 may perform registration management, connection management,reachability management, mobility management, lawful intercepts, ShortMessage Service (SMS) transport between UE device 110 and an SMSfunction (not shown in FIG. 2), session management messages transportbetween UE device 110 and SMF 240, access authentication andauthorization, location services management, functionality to supportnon-3GPP access networks, and/or other types of management processes.AMF 220 may be accessible by other function nodes via a Namf interface224. In one implementation, AMF 220 may have multiple instances, whereeach AMF instance is associated with a particular network slice (e.g.,network slice 150). According to implementations described herein, anAMF may receive and forward network slice characteristics to gNB 210.

UPF 230 may maintain an anchor point for intra/inter-RAT mobility,maintain an external Packet Data Unit (PDU) point of interconnect to adata network (e.g., IP network 230, etc.), perform packet routing andforwarding, perform the user plane part of policy rule enforcement,perform packet inspection, perform lawful intercept, perform trafficusage reporting, perform QoS handling in the user plane, perform uplinktraffic verification, perform transport level packet marking, performdownlink packet buffering, send and forward an “end marker” to a RadioAccess Network (RAN) node (e.g., gNB 210), and/or perform other types ofuser plane processes. UPF 230 may communicate with SMF 240 using an N4interface 234 and connect to IP network 201 using an N6 interface 236.According to an implementation described herein, UPF 230 may storenetwork slice characteristics, which may be provided (e.g., via AMFs220) to gNBs 210 for use in selecting a preferred network slice 150during an initial attachment process for UE device 110.

SMF 240 may perform session establishment, modification, and/or release,perform IP address allocation and management, perform Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol (DHCP) functions, perform selection and controlof UPF 230, configure traffic steering at UPF 230 to guide traffic tothe correct destination, terminate interfaces toward PCF 254, performlawful intercepts, charge data collection, support charging interfaces,control and coordinate of charging data collection, termination ofsession management parts of NAS messages, perform downlink datanotification, manage roaming functionality, and/or perform other typesof control plane processes for managing user plane data. SMF 240 may beaccessible via an Nsmf interface 242.

AF 250 may provide services associated with a particular application,such as, for example, application influence on traffic routing,accessing NEF 258, interacting with a policy framework for policycontrol, and/or other types of applications. AF 250 may be accessiblevia an Naf interface 262.

UDM 252 may maintain subscription information for UE devices 110, managesubscriptions, generate authentication credentials, handle useridentification, perform access authorization based on subscription data,perform network function registration management, maintain serviceand/or session continuity by maintaining assignment of SMF 240 forongoing sessions, support SMS delivery, support lawful interceptfunctionality, and/or perform other processes associated with managinguser data. UDM 252 may be accessible via a Nudm interface 264.

PCF 254 may support policies to control network behavior, provide policyrules to control plane functions (e.g., to SMF 240), access subscriptioninformation relevant to policy decisions, perform policy decisions,and/or perform other types of processes associated with policyenforcement. PCF 254 may be accessible via Npcf interface 266.

NRF 256 may support a service discovery function and maintain a profileof available network function (NF) instances and their supportedservices. An NF profile may include an NF instance identifier (ID), anNF type, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID associated with the NF,a network slice ID associated with the NF, capacity information for theNF, service authorization information for the NF, supported servicesassociated with the NF, endpoint information for each supported serviceassociated with the NF, and/or other types of NF information. NRF 256may be accessible via an Nnrf interface 268.

NEF 258 may expose capabilities and events to other NFs, includingthird-party NFs, AFs, edge computing NFs, and/or other types of NFs.Furthermore, NEF 258 may secure provisioning of information fromexternal applications to access network 120, translate informationbetween access network 120 and devices/networks external to accessnetwork 120, support a Packet Flow Description (PFD) function, and/orperform other types of network exposure functions. NEF 258 may beaccessible via Nnef interface 270.

NSSF 260 may select a set of network slice instances to serve aparticular UE device 110, determine network slice selection assistanceinformation (NSSAI), determine a particular AMF 220 to serve aparticular UE device 110, and/or perform other types of processesassociated with network slice selection or management. NSSF 260 may beaccessible via Nnssf interface 272. According to an implementationdescribed herein, NSFF 260 may store network slice characteristics,which may be provided (e.g., via AMFs 220) to gNBs 210 for use inselecting a preferred network slice 150 during an initial attachmentprocess for UE device 110.

Although FIG. 2 shows exemplary components of core network 215, in otherimplementations, core network 215 may include fewer components,different components, differently arranged components, or additionalcomponents than depicted in FIG. 2. Additionally or alternatively, oneor more components of core network 215 may perform functions describedas being performed by one or more other components of core network 215.For example, core network 215 may include additional function nodes notshown in FIG. 2, such as an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), aNon-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF), a Unified Data Repository (UDR),an Unstructured Data Storage Network Function (UDSF), a 5G EquipmentIdentity Register (5G-EIR) function, a Location Management Function(LMF), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) function, and/or othertypes of functions. Furthermore, while particular interfaces have beendescribed with respect to particular function nodes in FIG. 2,additionally or alternatively, core network 215 may include a referencepoint architecture that includes point-to-point interfaces betweenparticular function nodes.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating example components of a device 300according to an implementation described herein. UE device 110, gNB 210,AMF 220, UPF 230, SMF 240, AF 250, UDM 252, PCF 254, NRF 256, NEF 258,NSSF 260, and/or other components of access network 120 may each includeone or more devices 300. As illustrated in FIG. 3, according to anexemplary embodiment, device 300 includes a bus 305, a processor 310, amemory/storage 315 that stores software 320, a communication interface325, an input 330, and an output 335. According to other embodiments,device 300 may include fewer components, additional components,different components, and/or a different arrangement of components thanthose illustrated in FIG. 3 and described herein.

Bus 305 includes a path that permits communication among the componentsof device 300. For example, bus 305 may include a system bus, an addressbus, a data bus, and/or a control bus. Bus 305 may also include busdrivers, bus arbiters, bus interfaces, and/or clocks.

Processor 310 includes one or multiple processors, microprocessors, dataprocessors, co-processors, application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), controllers, programmable logic devices, chipsets,field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specificinstruction-set processors (ASIPs), system-on-chips (SoCs), centralprocessing units (CPUs) (e.g., one or multiple cores), microcontrollers,and/or some other type of component that interprets and/or executesinstructions and/or data. Processor 310 may be implemented as hardware(e.g., a microprocessor, etc.), a combination of hardware and software(e.g., a SoC, an ASIC, etc.), may include one or multiple memories(e.g., cache, etc.), etc. Processor 310 may be a dedicated component ora non-dedicated component (e.g., a shared resource).

Processor 310 may control the overall operation or a portion ofoperation(s) performed by device 300. Processor 310 may perform one ormultiple operations based on an operating system and/or variousapplications or computer programs (e.g., software 320). Processor 310may access instructions from memory/storage 315, from other componentsof device 300, and/or from a source external to device 300 (e.g., anetwork, another device, etc.). Processor 310 may perform an operationand/or a process based on various techniques including, for example,multithreading, parallel processing, pipelining, interleaving, etc.

Memory/storage 315 includes one or multiple memories and/or one ormultiple other types of storage mediums. For example, memory/storage 315may include one or multiple types of memories, such as, random accessmemory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache, read onlymemory (ROM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), a static randomaccess memory (SRAM), a single in-line memory module (SIMM), a dualin-line memory module (DIMM), a flash memory (e.g., a NAND flash, a NORflash, etc.), and/or some other type of memory. Memory/storage 315 mayinclude a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, amagneto-optic disk, a solid state disk, etc.), a Micro-ElectromechanicalSystem (MEMS)-based storage medium, and/or a nanotechnology-basedstorage medium. Memory/storage 315 may include a drive for reading fromand writing to the storage medium.

Memory/storage 315 may be external to and/or removable from device 300,such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory stick, adongle, a hard disk, mass storage, off-line storage, network attachedstorage (NAS), or some other type of storing medium (e.g., a compactdisk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a Blu-Ray disk (BD), etc.).Memory/storage 315 may store data, software, and/or instructions relatedto the operation of device 300.

Software 320 includes an application or a program that provides afunction and/or a process. Software 320 may include an operating system.Software 320 is also intended to include firmware, middleware,microcode, hardware description language (HDL), and/or other forms ofinstruction. Additionally, for example, UE device 110 and/or wirelessstation 130 may include logic to perform tasks, as described herein,based on software 320.

Communication interface 325 permits device 300 to communicate with otherdevices, networks, systems, devices, and/or the like. Communicationinterface 325 includes one or multiple wireless interfaces and/or wiredinterfaces. For example, communication interface 325 may include one ormultiple transmitters and receivers, or transceivers. Communicationinterface 325 may include one or more antennas. For example,communication interface 325 may include an array of antennas.Communication interface 325 may operate according to a protocol stackand a communication standard. Communication interface 325 may includevarious processing logic or circuitry (e.g.,multiplexing/de-multiplexing, filtering, amplifying, converting, errorcorrection, etc.).

Input 330 permits an input into device 300. For example, input 330 mayinclude a keyboard, a mouse, a display, a button, a switch, an inputport, speech recognition logic, a biometric mechanism, a microphone, avisual and/or audio capturing device (e.g., a camera, etc.), and/or someother type of visual, auditory, tactile, etc., input component. Output335 permits an output from device 300. For example, output 335 mayinclude a speaker, a display, a light, an output port, and/or some othertype of visual, auditory, tactile, etc., output component. According tosome embodiments, input 330 and/or output 335 may be a device that isattachable to and removable from device 300.

Device 300 may perform a process and/or a function, as described herein,in response to processor 310 executing software 320 stored bymemory/storage 315. By way of example, instructions may be read intomemory/storage 315 from another memory/storage 315 (not shown) or readfrom another device (not shown) via communication interface 325. Theinstructions stored by memory/storage 315 cause processor 310 to performa process described herein. Alternatively, for example, according toother implementations, device 300 performs a process described hereinbased on the execution of hardware (processor 310, etc.).

FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting an exemplary implementation of a slice IDdatabase 400. As shown, a data structure of slice ID database 400 mayinclude multiple entries 401, with each entry 401 including sliceidentifier (ID) field 405, one or more slice characteristics fields 410,an available field 430, and an AMF instance address field 440. Slice IDdatabase 400 may be stored locally in UE 110 and gNB 210 (e.g., inmemory 315). In one implementation, slice ID database 400 may be updateddynamically by each UE 110. In a further implementation, a version ofslice ID database 400 may be stored in a memory at each gNB 210 innetwork environment 200.

Slice ID field 405 may store an identifier for a network slice 150. Theunique identifier includes a single identifier associated with thenetwork slice. In one implementation, the unique ID stored in field 405may correspond to an IP address for an AMF instance (AMF 220) thatsupports the network slice. That is, each AMF 220 instance may beassociated with a unique network slice 150. In another implementation,the identifier for the network slice 150 may be a string (e.g.,numerical, alpha-numerical, etc.) different from the IP address of theAMF instance.

Slice characteristics fields 410 may include provisioned characteristicsor features of a particular network slice associated with the slice IDin slice ID field 405. Examples of slice characteristics fields 410include a latency field 412, a bandwidth field 414, and a plan levelfield 416.

Latency field 412 may store a particular latency value associated withthe particular network slice for the particular slice ID. The latencyvalue may reflect, for example, a maximum end-to-end latency configuredfor the corresponding network slice.

Bandwidth field 414 may represent the total bandwidth supported by aparticular network slice associated with a slice ID in slice ID field405. Bandwidth field 414 may reflect, for example, a maximum bandwidthassociated with limiting link in the network slice. In otherimplementations, bandwidth field 414 may include separate uplink anddownlink bandwidth values.

Plan level field 416 may identify a particular service level associatedwith the network slice in slice ID field 405. Plan level field 416 mayinclude an indicator (e.g., “gold” level, “silver” level, “bronze”level, etc.) associated with a particular subscription price, quality ofservice (QoS), and/or data rate limits. A service level may define aparticular group of service parameters for a network slice as defined bya service level agreement and may be restricted to customers whosubscribe to that service level.

Available field 430 may include a real-time (or near-real-time, such asno more than a half-second delay) indication of whether a network slicefor a particular entry 401 can be assigned to a UE 110. For example,congested network conditions may temporarily preclude assignment of oneor more network slices.

AMF address field 440 may include an IP address for a specific AMFinstance associated with an entry 401. The address in AMF address field440 may be used, for example, by gNB 210 to initiate a connectionrequested by a UE 110. In another implementation, a Globally Unique AMFID (GUAMI) or a different type of identifier may be used in AMF addressfield 440.

Slice ID database 400 is depicted in FIG. 4 as including a tabular datastructure with a certain number of fields having certain content. Thetabular data structure of slice ID database 400 shown in FIG. 4,however, is for illustrative purposes. Other types of data structuresmay alternatively be used. The number, types, and content of the entriesand/or fields in the data structure of slice ID database 400 is also forillustrative purposes. Other data structures having different numbersof, types of and/or content of, the entries and/or the fields may beimplemented. Therefore, slice ID database 400 may include additional,fewer and/or different entries and/or fields than those depicted in FIG.4.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary communications for networkslice identification and selection in a portion 500 of networkenvironment 200. More specifically, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating anexemplary network slice identification and selection by gNB 210. Networkportion 500 may include UE device 110, gNB 210, AMF 220, and PCF254/NSSF 260. Communications shown in FIG. 5 provide simplifiedillustrations of communications in network portion 500 and are notintended to reflect every signal or communication exchanged betweendevices.

Referring to FIG. 5, network slice data 505 may be provided to gNB 210.Network slice data 505 may include, for example, data used to compileslice ID database 400, such as a slice ID, slice characteristics, and anAMF instance address for each network slice available via a particulargNB 210. According to implementations described herein, network slicedata 505 may be provided on a continuously updated (e.g. dynamic) basisto reflect current network conditions. In one implementation, differentnetwork slice data 505 may be provided from PCF 254 or NSSF 260 (e.g.,via an AMF 210 or UPF 230) to different gNBs 210. That is, network slicedata 505 for one gNB 210 may be different than network slice data 505for a different gNB 210.

Assume subsequent to a power-up procedure of UE device 110, UE device110 generates an RRC Connection Request message 510. For example, anupper layer of a stack may request that a radio resource control layerestablish an RRC connection with gNB 210. In response, the radioresource control layer of UE device 110 generates and send RRCConnection Request message 510 to gNB 210 via a control channel. gNB 210may receive RRC Connection Request message 510 and respond with an RRCConnection Setup message 515. gNB 210 may transmits the RRC ConnectionSetup message to UE device 110 via the control channel.

UE device 110 generates and transmits a registration request message 520in response to receiving RRC Connection Setup message 515. Whenregistration request message 520 is provided in the context of aninitial registration, UE device 110 may include an information element(IE) with service and/or slice characteristics needed to support aspecific application for UE device 110. According to one implementation(e.g., when UE device 110 is a multipurpose device that is configured touse a particular network slice), registration request message 520 mayinclude requested network slice selection assistance information(R-NSSAI) to indicate the services and/or characteristics required by anapplication being executed on UE device 110. For example, the R-NSSAImay include a minimum latency requirement, a bandwidth requirement, etc.required for a specific application.

gNB 210 may receive registration request message 520 (including theR-NSSAI) from UE device 110 and extract the service and/or slicecharacteristics from the R-NSSAI. As indicated by reference 525, gNB 210may use the service and/or slice characteristics from the R-NSSAI, inconjunction with a locally stored table of network slice data 505 (e.g.,slice ID database 400), to select an appropriate slice ID. Using sliceID database 400, for example, gNB 210 may identify the IP address forthe appropriate AMF 220 that corresponds to the slice ID.

As further shown in FIG. 5, gNB 210 may forward an Initial UE Message530 to the AMF 220 associated with the selected slice ID. In oneimplementation, AMF 220 may confirm (e.g., with one or more other corenetwork elements, such as UPF 230, PCF 254, or NSSF 260), that the userplane of the selected network slice can support communications for theapplication on UE device 110. In another implementation, gNB 210′sselection of an entry 401 from slice ID database 400 (e.g., field 430)may serve as initial confirmation that the selected network slice cansupport communications for the application on UE device 110. In responseto receiving Initial UE Message 530, AMF 220 may conduct exchanges withUE device 110 for UE authentication and non-access stratum (NAS)security initiation, as indicated by reference 535.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating different exemplary communications fornetwork slice identification and selection in network portion 500. Morespecifically, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary networkslice identification and selection by UE 110. Network portion 500 mayinclude UE device 110, gNB 210, AMF 220, and PCF 254. Communicationsshown in FIG. 6 provide simplified illustrations of communications innetwork portion 500 and are not intended to reflect every signal orcommunication exchanged between devices.

Referring to FIG. 6, network slice data 605 may be provided to gNB 210.Network slice data 605 may include, for example, data used to compileslice ID database 400, such as a slice ID, slice characteristics, and anAMF instance address for each network slice available via a particulargNB 210. According to implementations described herein, network slicedata 605 may be provided on a continuously updated (e.g. dynamic) basisto reflect current network conditions. In one implementation, differentnetwork slice data 605 may be provided from PCF 254 (e.g., via an AMF210 or UPF 230) to different gNBs 210. That is, network slice data 505for one gNB 210 may be different than network slice data 505 for adifferent gNB 210. In one implementation, gNB 210 may use network slicedata 605 to generate and locally store slice ID database 400.

As shown in FIG. 6, gNB 210 may periodically broadcast 610 network slicedata 605 to UE devices 110 in the coverage area of gNB 210. Broadcast610 may be provided over a new radio physical broadcast channel(NR-PBCH) to announce what network slices are available in the gNBcoverage area and the characteristic of each network slice. UE 110 mayreceive broadcast 610, including the slice availability andcharacteristics. As shown in reference 615, an application on UE device110 (e.g., with human intervention, if necessary) may select anappropriate network slice by comparing service requirements for theapplication with the slice availability and characteristicsmost-recently received over broadcast 610. UE device 110 may then send arequested slice ID (e.g., as a corresponding R-NSSAI parameter) to gNB210 during the RRC connection process that includes RRC ConnectionRequest message 620, RRC Connection Setup message 625, and registrationrequest message 630. In the example of FIG. 6, the requested slice IDmay be included with registration request message 630. In anotherimplementation, registration request message 630 may include a GloballyUnique AMF ID (GUAMI) for an AMF 220 that supports a requested slice.

gNB 210 may receive the requested slice ID in registration requestmessage 630 from UE device 110 and extract the slice ID from theR-NSSAI. Using slice ID database 400, for example, gNB 210 may identifythe IP address for the appropriate AMF 220 that corresponds to thereceived slice ID. As further shown in FIG. 6, gNB 210 may forward anInitial UE Message 635 to the AMF 220 associated with the requestedslice ID. In respond to receiving Initial UE Message 635, AMF 220 mayconfirm the requested slice ID is appropriate and conduct exchanges withUE device 110 for UE authentication and non-access stratum (NAS)security initiation, as indicated by reference 640.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating exemplary communications for networkslice selection and handover in a portion 700 of network environment200. More specifically, FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an exemplarycore network slice selection for UE device 110 during a handoff. Networkportion 700 may include UE device 110, gNBs 210-1 and 210-2, AMFs 220-1and 220-2, and NSSF 260. The simplified communications shown in FIG. 7are for illustration and do not include additional handovercommunications, such as a handover between different UPF 230 instances,etc.

In the example of FIG. 7, assume UE device 110 is being switched awayfrom using network slice 150-1 to using network slice 150-2. Forexample, network load conditions (e.g., in access network 120 orprovider network 140) may preclude use of network slice 150-1, ornetwork slice 150-2 may be preferable because network 150-1 is notavailable when UE device 110 (e.g., in a mobility context) transitionsfrom gNB 210-1 to gNB 210-2. In another implementation, communicationsin FIG. 7 may be used to override a network slice selection from aninitial registration (e.g., override a slice selection from FIG. 5).

Slice selection logic 705 (a decision tree, for example) may reside inNSSF 260 (as shown in FIG. 7) or AMFs 220. Slice selection logic mayassociate any application or type of application with specific slicecharacteristics (e.g., latency, bandwidth, availability, etc.). Results710 of slice selection logic may be provided to AMFs 220 on either aperiodic or dynamic basis. That is, the slices and needs may bestatically defined or may change dynamically when network conditionsand/or requirements change. In one implementation, results 710 maymodify the definition/characteristics of an existing network slice 150.

Based on results 710, a table 715 that identifies which slice 150 bestsuits which application may be generated and stored in AMFs 220 (asshown in FIG. 7) or gNBs 210. In one implementation, table 715 may beincorporated within table 400 described above. In anotherimplementation, table 715 may be a separate table. In oneimplementation, table 715 may be dynamically updated as results 710 areprovided.

In order to perform a handoff from slice 150-1 to slice 150-2, bothslices will be recognized (e.g., by AMFs 220) as able to host a specificapplication being serviced for UE device 110. In one implementation, adynamic change in results 710 and/or table 715 may indicate that aspecific network slice 150 may no longer support an application for UE110, and AMF 220 or another device in network 215 may force a slicechange (e.g., from slice 150-1 to slice 150-2) for UE device 110. Sliceto slice communications may be used to effectively perform slicereselection. In one implementation, an AMF 220 for one slice (e.g., AMF220-1) may exchange communications 720 with an AMF 220 for another slice(e.g., AMF 220-2) before a handover to confirm slice characteristics cansupport a specific application.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process 800 forenabling a wireless station to select a network slice based on inputfrom a UE device, according to an implementation described herein. Inone implementation, process 800 may be implemented by gNB 210. Inanother implementation, process 800 may be implemented by anotherwireless station 130 and/or in conjunction with one or more otherdevices in network environment 200.

Referring to FIG. 8, process 800 may include receiving slicecharacteristic data from a core network (block 805), and storing theslice characteristic data in a local database (block 810). For example,gNB 210 may receive, network slice data (e.g., network slice data 505 ofFIG. 5) from core network 215 (e.g., AMF 220 and/or PCF 254) for eachnetwork slice available through gNB 210. The network slice data mayinclude, for each network slice, a unique slice ID and correspondingslice characteristics. In some implementations, the network slice datamay also include an IP address for each corresponding AMF instanceservicing a corresponding network slice. The characteristic data may bestored in a local database of gNB 210 (e.g., slice ID database 400).

Process 800 may further include receiving a requested slicecharacteristic from a UE device (block 815) and determining if there isan available matching slice in the local database (block 820). Forexample, gNB 210 may receive a registration request message (e.g.,registration request message 520) from UE device 110 that indicatesnetwork slice characteristics required by an application being executedon UE device. The network slice characteristics may be included withinan R-NSSAI parameter. In one implementation, the requested network slicecharacteristics may include one or more of a latency value (e.g., <20milliseconds (ms), <100 ms, etc.), a minimum bandwidth, etc. Using, forexample, slice ID database 400, gNB 210 may attempt to match therequested network slice characteristics with characteristics ofavailable network slices.

If there is an available matching slice in the local database (block820—Yes), process 800 may further include selecting a slice ID of amatching slice with the smallest network impact (block 825). Forexample, if UE device 110 provides a network slice characteristic with arequested latency of no more than 100 ms, gNB 210 may select (e.g., fromslice ID database 400) an entry 401/slice ID field 405 with a latencyvalue closest to 100 ms without exceeding 100 ms.

If there is not an available matching slice in the local database (block820—No), process 800 may further include selecting a slice ID of adefault network slice (block 830). For example, if gNB 210 cannot matchone or multiple requested slice characteristics from UE device 110, gNB210 may use a default network slice (with a default slice ID) for theinitial UE connection.

Based on the selected slice ID from process blocks 825 or 830, process800 may additionally include sending a connection message to an AMFinstance corresponding to the selected slice ID (block 835). Forexample, if gNB 210 selects a slice ID of a matching slice or a defaultslice, gNB 210 may forward an Initial UE message, or another connectionmessage including NSSAI parameters, to the respective AMF 220 to allowUE device 110 to connection to core network 215.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process 900 forenabling a UE device to select a network slice, according to animplementation described herein. In one implementation, process 900 maybe implemented by gNB 210. In another implementation, process 900 may beimplemented by another wireless station 130 and/or in conjunction withone or more other devices in network environment 200.

Referring to FIG. 9, process 900 may include receiving slicecharacteristic data from a core network (block 905), and storing theslice characteristic data in a local database (block 910). For example,gNB 210 may receive, network slice data (e.g., network slice data 505 ofFIG. 5) from core network 215 (e.g., AMF 220 and/or PCF 254) for eachnetwork slice available through gNB 210. The network slice data mayinclude, for each network slice, a unique slice ID and correspondingslice characteristics. The network slice data may also include an IPaddress for each corresponding AMF instance servicing a correspondingnetwork slice. The characteristic data may be stored in a local databaseof gNB 210 (e.g., slice ID database 400).

Process 900 may also include broadcasting slice characteristic data(block 915). For example, gNB 210 may periodically broadcast networkslice data 605 (e.g., via broadcast 610 of FIG. 6) to UE devices 110 inthe coverage area of gNB 210. The broadcast may be provided, forexample, using a new radio physical broadcast channel (NR-PBCH) toannounce the network slices available in the gNB coverage area and thecharacteristics of each network slice.

Process 900 may further include receiving a requested slice identifierfrom a UE device (block 920) and determining if there is an availablematching slice identifier from the local database (block 925). Forexample, UE device 110 may receive the broadcast network slice data andlocally store the data. When an application executed on UE device 110causes UE device 110 to initiate an RRC connection request, theapplication/UE device 110 may select a slice ID with corresponding slicecharacteristics that match the application. UE may send the requestedslice identifier to gNB 210 (e.g., via RRC connection setup completemessage the slice identifier included within an R-NSSAI parameter). gNB210 may receive a registration request message (e.g., registrationrequest message 630) from UE device 110, that indicates network slice IDrequired by an application being executed on UE device 110. The networkslice ID may be included within an R-NSSAI parameter or another messagefield. Using, for example, slice ID database 400, gNB 210 may attempt tomatch the requested network slice ID with an available network sliceIDs.

If there is an available matching slice ID the local database of the gNB(block 925—Yes), process 900 may further include sending a connectionmessage to an AMF instance corresponding to the requested slice ID(block 930). For example, if UE device 110 provides a network slice IDthat matches a slice ID stored locally at gNB 210 (and the correspondslice is indicated as available), gNB 210 may forward an Initial UEmessage or another connection message to an AMF 220 with thecorresponding slice ID to allow UE device 110 to connection to corenetwork 215.

If there is an available matching slice ID the local database of the gNB(block 925—No), process 900 may further include sending a connectionmessage to an AMF instance corresponding to the requested slice ID(block 935). For example, if UE device 110 provides a network slice IDthat does not match a slice ID stored locally at gNB 210 (or thecorrespond slice is indicated as available), gNB 210 may forward anInitial UE message or another connection message to a default AMFinstance 220 to allow UE device 110 to connection to core network 215.

Systems and methods described herein provide for network slice selectionduring an initial connection. A wireless station receives, from a corenetwork device, network slice data for each network slice available viathe wireless station, wherein the network slice data includes a sliceidentifier and corresponding slice characteristics for each networkslice. The wireless station receives, from a user equipment (UE) device,a request message that indicates a network slice characteristicpertaining to an application of the UE device. The wireless stationselects, based on the network slice data from the core network deviceand the network slice characteristic from the UE device, one of theslice identifiers for servicing the UE device.

As set forth in this description and illustrated by the drawings,reference is made to “an exemplary embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“embodiments,” etc., which may include a particular feature, structureor characteristic in connection with an embodiment(s). However, the useof the phrase or term “an embodiment,” “embodiments,” etc., in variousplaces in the specification does not necessarily refer to allembodiments described, nor does it necessarily refer to the sameembodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarilymutually exclusive of other embodiment(s). The same applies to the term“implementation,” “implementations,” etc.

The foregoing description of embodiments provides illustration, but isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the preciseform disclosed. Accordingly, modifications to the embodiments describedherein may be possible. For example, various modifications and changesmay be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented,without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forthin the claims that follow. The description and drawings are accordinglyto be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to be interpreted to includeone or more items. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to beinterpreted as “based, at least in part, on,” unless explicitly statedotherwise. The term “and/or” is intended to be interpreted to includeany and all combinations of one or more of the associated items. Theword “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example.” Anyembodiment or implementation described as “exemplary” is not necessarilyto be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments orimplementations.

In addition, while series of blocks have been described with regard tothe processes illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the order of the blocks maybe modified according to other embodiments. Further, non-dependentblocks may be performed in parallel. Additionally, other processesdescribed in this description may be modified and/or non-dependentoperations may be performed in parallel.

Embodiments described herein may be implemented in many different formsof software executed by hardware. For example, a process or a functionmay be implemented as “logic,” a “component,” or an “element.” Thelogic, the component, or the element, may include, for example, hardware(e.g., processor 310, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software(e.g., software 320).

Embodiments have been described without reference to the specificsoftware code because the software code can be designed to implement theembodiments based on the description herein and commercially availablesoftware design environments and/or languages. For example, varioustypes of programming languages including, for example, a compiledlanguage, an interpreted language, a declarative language, or aprocedural language may be implemented.

Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in theclaims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote anypriority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, thetemporal order in which acts of a method are performed, the temporalorder in which instructions executed by a device are performed, etc.,but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having acertain name from another element having a same name (but for use of theordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

Additionally, embodiments described herein may be implemented as anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores data and/orinformation, such as instructions, program code, a data structure, aprogram module, an application, a script, or other known or conventionalform suitable for use in a computing environment. The program code,instructions, application, etc., is readable and executable by aprocessor (e.g., processor 310) of a device. A non-transitory storagemedium includes one or more of the storage mediums described in relationto memory/storage 315.

To the extent the aforementioned embodiments collect, store or employpersonal information of individuals, it should be understood that suchinformation shall be collected, stored and used in accordance with allapplicable laws concerning protection of personal information.Additionally, the collection, storage and use of such information may besubject to consent of the individual to such activity, for example,through well known “opt-in” or “opt-out” processes as may be appropriatefor the situation and type of information. Storage and use of personalinformation may be in an appropriately secure manner reflective of thetype of information, for example, through various encryption andanonymization techniques for particularly sensitive information.

No element, act, or instruction set forth in this description should beconstrued as critical or essential to the embodiments described hereinunless explicitly indicated as such.

All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the variousaspects set forth in this disclosure that are known or later come to beknown to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporatedherein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless station, comprising: a firstcommunications interface for sending and receiving data using a wirelessaccess network; a second communications interface for receiving datafrom a core network; and a processor configured to: receive, via thesecond communications interface, dynamic network slice data from thecore network for network slices, wherein the dynamic network slice dataincludes, for each network slice of the network slices: a sliceidentifier, slice characteristics, and a network address for anassociated Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance,receive, from a user equipment (UE) device via the first communicationinterface, a registration request message that indicates a network slicecharacteristic required by an application being executed on the UEdevice, determine if an available slice identified in the dynamicnetwork slice data corresponds to the network slice characteristicrequired by the application, and select, from the dynamic network slicedata, one of the slice identifiers for servicing the UE device when anetwork slice characteristic required by the application corresponds toone of the slice characteristics of the dynamic network slice data. 2.The wireless station of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: select a default slice identifier for servicing the UEdevice when the network slice characteristic required by the applicationdoes not correspond to one of the slice characteristics of the dynamicnetwork slice data.
 3. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: send, to the access managementfunction associated with the selected slice identifier, a message toestablish a connection.
 4. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: store a data structure including thedynamic network slice data.
 5. The wireless station of claim 4, whereinthe processor is further configured to: receive the dynamic networkslice data for one or more of the network slices, and update the datastructure in real time.
 6. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein thedynamic network slice data includes an availability status of each ofthe network slices.
 7. The wireless station of claim 1, wherein thewireless station includes a gNodeB for a New Radio access network. 8.The wireless station of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: broadcast, via a downlink broadcast channel, the dynamicnetwork slice data to the UE device, wherein when the processor receivesthe registration request message that indicates network slicecharacteristics, the processor receives a requested slice identifier. 9.A method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless station, dynamic networkslice data from the core network for network slices, wherein the dynamicnetwork slice data includes, for each network slice of the networkslices: a slice identifier, slice characteristics, and a network addressfor an associated Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)instance; receiving, by the wireless station and from a user equipment(UE) device via the first communication interface, a registrationrequest message that indicates a network slice characteristic requiredby an application being executed on the UE device; determining if anavailable slice identified in the dynamic network slice data correspondsto the network slice characteristic required by the application, andselecting, by the wireless station and from the dynamic network slicedata, one of the slice identifiers for servicing the UE device when anetwork slice characteristic required by the application corresponds toone of the slice characteristics of the dynamic network slice data. 10.The method of claim 9, further comprising: selecting a default sliceidentifier for servicing the UE device when the network slicecharacteristic required by the application does not correspond to one ofthe slice characteristics of the dynamic network slice data.
 11. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising: sending, to the access managementfunction associated with the selected slice identifier, a message toestablish a connection.
 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:storing, by the wireless station and in a memory, the dynamic networkslice data.
 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: receiving thedynamic network slice data for one or more of the network slices, andupdating a data structure for the dynamic network slice data in realtime.
 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising: broadcasting, via adownlink broadcast channel, the dynamic network slice data.
 15. Themethod of claim 9, wherein each network address for the AMF instance isassociated with a different slice identifier of the slice identifiers.16. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless station includes agNodeB for a New Radio access network.
 17. Non-transitory,computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by oneor more processors of one or more devices, which when executed cause theone or more devices to: receive dynamic network slice data from the corenetwork for network slices, wherein the dynamic network slice dataincludes, for each network slice of the network slices: a sliceidentifier, slice characteristics, and a network address for anassociated Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) instance;receive, from a user equipment (UE) device via the first communicationinterface, a registration request message that indicates a network slicecharacteristic required by an application being executed on the UEdevice; determine if an available slice identified in the dynamicnetwork slice data corresponds to the network slice characteristicrequired by the application, and select, from the dynamic network slicedata, one of the slice identifiers for servicing the UE device when anetwork slice characteristic required by the application corresponds toone of the slice characteristics of the dynamic network slice data. 18.The non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 17, furthercomprising instructions to: send, to an AMF instance associated with theselected one of the slice identifiers, a message to establish aconnection.
 19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage media ofclaim 17, further comprising instructions to: store, in a memory, a datastructure including the dynamic network slice data.
 20. Thenon-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 17, furthercomprising instructions to: broadcast, via a downlink broadcast channel,the dynamic network slice data.